PETALING JAYA: Singles shuttler Ng Tze Yong is simply happy to be back on court, doing what he loves most after a long injury layoff. Right now, I just need to be more consistent," said Tze Yong. Tze Yong has been sidelined from competitive action for seven months after suffering an anterior cruciate ligament injury to his right knee. However, following surgery at the Aspetar Medical Centre in Doha in July and subsequent rehabilitation, he has returned to on court training, although not on a daily basis as before. But now, with this being my second injury, I understand it better," said Tze Yong.

PETALING JAYA: It was not due to illness but an internal issue that forced Malaysia’s top men’s singles player Leong Jun Hao to withdraw from this week’s Indonesian Masters. National singles coaching director Kenneth Jonassen revealed that Jun Hao had been struggling to perform at his best, not only on match days but also during training sessions. "That was the consideration, and it was a decision agreed with Jun Hao as well." Jun Hao was initially drawn to face South Korea’s Jeon Hyeok-jin in the first round of the Indonesian Masters, but the Korean player has also withdrawn. In Jun Hao’s absence, Malaysia will rely on Justin Hoh and Lee Zii Jia in the men’s singles.

PUTRAJAYA: The Academic Bank Credits (ABC) platform will be introduced to students, says Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Zambry Abd Kadir. He said the ABC is a centralised digital depository that allows students to collect, store and redeem learning credits. "Through ABC, students are given full insight into their credit assets. This is in line with quadrant 2 in the Malaysian Higher Education Blueprint (MHEB) 2026-2035," he said during his new year's address on Tuesday (Jan 20). The National Education Plan 2026-2035 will be unveiled today at noon by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.

KUALA LUMPUR: Two Chinese nationals working in Malaysia were left in shock after discovering each had owed between RM748,000 and RM842,000 in unpaid income tax, allegedly after their employer made false declarations about their salaries to the Inland Revenue Board (LHDN). “I never expected to owe so much tax in just one year. I believe that my employer misused a copy of my passport to create a Tax Identification Number and lied about my salary when filing income tax on my behalf, without my permission. “My monthly salary was RM10,000, but my employer reported it as RM1,759,915.41 from Nov 30, 2022 to Oct 31, 2023,” she said. Chen’s husband later discovered that the employer falsely told LHDN that Chen was receiving cash income from the company.

Snow World at Resorts World Genting (Pahang)Last year also brought another good news to chionophiles (lovers of snow), especially those who have long waited for the return of Snow World at Resorts World Genting. It operates on a pay-per-play basis, so this means entry to the winter wonderland will count as additional charge. — Antarctic Snow World Penang/FacebookAntarctic Snow World (Penang)When you think of Penang, it being icy cool is not the perception you’ll likely have. Snow World Banda Hilir (Melaka)Melaka is another state that holds its tourism campaign, Visit Melaka 2026, alongside the nationwide Visit Malaysia 2026. Snow World Melaka Mall (Melaka)The other snow attraction, Snow World Melaka Mall, opened in March 2025.

KUCHING: A 69-year-old woman here lost RM415,464 after falling victim to a phone scam by a caller impersonating a police officer. Kuching police chief Asst Comm Alexson Naga Chabu said the woman received a phone call on Sept 17 last year from the suspect, who alleged that a criminal case existed in her name. The case is being investigated under Section 420 of the Penal Code for cheating and dishonestly inducing the delivery of property. ACP Alexson advised the public not to panic and to immediately end suspicious phone calls to avoid being scammed. "Suspicious phone and bank account numbers can be checked at the Semak Mule portal," he said.

TOKYO (Jan 20): Tourists to Japan hit a record high for the month of December despite the number of visitors from China plunging 45% due to diplomatic tensions between the two Asian neighbours. Tourists from China fell to about 330,000 people in December, making up less than 10% of the 3.6 million visitors to Japan for the month. In the year to end-November, mainland Chinese tourists had made up the largest cohort of visitors to Japan, accounting for around a quarter of the total. For all of 2025, tourist numbers to Japan hit a record 42.7 million people, exceeding 40 million for the first time, Japan's tourism minister, Yasushi Kaneko, told a press conference. Total spending by inbound tourists reached ¥9.5 trillion (US$60 billion or RM240 billion) over the year, also a record high.

BIRTH rates fell last year to its lowest level on record, official data showed, as its population shrank for a fourth year running despite authorities’ efforts to curb the decline. There were just 7.92 million births recorded last year, Chinese officials said yesterday, a rate of 5.63 births per thousand people. It marks the lowest birth rate since records by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) began in 1949 – the year leader Mao Zedong declared the founding of the People’s Republic of China. China’s birth rate had declined consistently over the last decade, despite the end of the restrictive “one-child policy”, until a slight uptick in 2024 when 6.77 births were recorded per thousand. The previous low was in 2023, when China recorded 9.02 million births – a rate of 6.39 per 1,000 people.

GEORGE TOWN: Foreigners are still flocking to Penang for medical treatment, and local patients are enjoying the benefits. The foreign patients have led to improved use of facilities and equipment, thus lowering costs and allowing hospitals to offer services at lower rates to local patients. However, he said China is rising as a competitor as hospitals there are also targeting the same foreign patients. On concerns that foreign patients could reduce access for locals, Phua said locals were not being pushed aside and waiting times had not been significantly affected. Foreign patients, he said, typically stayed in Penang for several days and were less sensitive to waiting times, unlike locals.

The rupiah slipped 0.3% to 16,988 per dollar on Tuesday, surpassing a record low from April when it fell below levels seen during the Asian Financial Crisis. Bank Indonesia last week said it was in the market to ensure that the rupiah moves in line with fundamental values. President Prabowo Subianto’s move on Monday to nominate his nephew for a Bank Indonesia deputy governor position has sparked jitters among investors about potential erosion of central bank independence. A cooling domestic economy may force the central bank to resume easing to support growth, risking further pressure on the rupiah. Bank Indonesia is set to announce its first interest-rate decision of the year on Wednesday with all analysts in a Bloomberg survey expecting a hold.

The ministry said it would intensify efforts and take firm measures to ensure national security, public order and racial harmony remain safeguarded. "This would be pursued through several key focus areas, beginning with combating violent crime and issues related to the three R - religion, race and royalty. The ministry added that it remains committed to addressing serious crime and violent threats effectively to preserve harmony among Malaysia’s multiracial society. In addition, the Home Ministry welcomed the call for the swift introduction of laws related to national security and external threats, saying improvements to the legal framework were crucial to safeguarding national sovereignty amid an increasingly challenging geopolitical landscape. "We urge Malaysians to act as the 'eyes and ears' of the Govt by reporting any form of crime or security threats.

Compiled by C. ARUNO, BENJAMIN LEE and R. ARAVINTHANFROM rotten floorboards to leaky roofs, the ancestral home of a family in Temangan, Kelantan, which housed three generations for nearly 40 years, is on the brink of collapse, reported Harian Metro. Zainuddin Che Nik, 45, said their once-beloved home was now not only in a state of disrepair but also posing serious potential safety risks for his family. “Many parts of the walls also have holes where venomous animals such as cobras enter occasionally, especially at night, cau­sing me to worry about our safety. “During storms and heavy rain, the roof in the kitchen area also leaks,” he said. He also has to care for his bedridden mother, who suffered from a stroke in the past and has diabetes, high blood pressure, as well as vision and hearing problems.

PETALING JAYA: Selangor mounted a strong fightback led by captain Faisal Halim to beat Kelantan the Real Warriors 2-1 in the Malaysia Cup round of 16 first-leg match at the Sultan Mohd IV Stadium in Kota Baru. Faisal scored his first goal in the 61st minute when he capitalised on a defensive melee to beat Bulgarian goalkeeper Damyan Damyanov with a stinging finish. The return-leg will be held at the Petaling Jaya Stadium on Jan 23. Selangor coach Kim Pan-gon was happy with the win but also realised some things need to be fixed before their next match. In Petaling Jaya, we will have a better game," said the South Korean.

This cannot be done in one shot,” he said in an interview on Bernama TV’s World programme titled “Online Safety in Focus: Understanding Malaysia’s ONSA 2025” yesterday. In balancing regulation with freedom of speech, Selvakumar stressed the need for transparency and independent oversight, proposing an independent online safety body involving civil society and academic experts. “We need to have an online safety Appeal Tribunal. This gives both our users and platforms a fair opportunity to challenge decisions.”While the government has created an Online Safety Committee under the Online Safety Act to provide strategic guidance on online safety issues, Selvakumar said there remains a need to strengthen independent oversight mechanisms, mainly in ensuring transparency and fair avenues for appeal involving users and platforms. We want to work with them.”On cross-border digital crimes, Selvakumar noted that regional coordination was critical given the borderless nature of online platforms.

KINABATANGAN (Jan 20): As of 10am on Tuesday, 80 police personnel, representing 47.09% of those eligible, have cast their votes in the early voting process for the Kinabatangan parliamentary by-election. In the Lamag state by-election, 34 police personnel, or 47.34%, have also cast their votes. The Election Commission (EC) reported that out of the 196 eligible police personnel, 189 are voting in person, while seven have opted for postal voting. Early voting is being held at the Kinabatangan District Police Headquarters, which opened at 8am and will close at 5pm on Tuesday. The Kinabatangan parliamentary constituency covers three state seats: Sukau, Lamag, and Kuamut, with a total of 48,722 registered voters.